PHOENIX  A year ago, Reymond Fuentes was one of the bigger disappointments in the Padres farm system.

The then 21-year-old outfielder hit .218 with a .301 on-base percentage and .302 slugging percentage for Double-A San Antonio. He struck out 133 times in 473 at-bats. Although he stole 35 bases, Fuentes slipped off the list of the Padres top prospects.

But a spectacular turn around this season resulted in Fuentes being promoted to the major league Padres Monday.

Purchased from Triple-A Tucson earlier in the day, Fuentes made his major league debut Monday night in center field while hitting seventh in the order against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Fuentes was part of two transactions made by the Padres Monday.

The Padres purchased his contract from Triple-A Tucson and recalled right-handed long reliever Anthony Bass from the Pacific Coast League team. In parallel moves, the Padres returned outfielder Jaff Decker and right-handed reliever Brad Brach to Tucson.

Fuentes, 22, moved from Double-A San Antonio through Tucson en route to the Padres this season. He had a combined .330 average with six homers, 43 RBIs, 35 steals and 73 runs scored this year. He struck out only 81 times in 400 at-bats while drawing 51 walks.

Fuentes, who came to the Padres on Dec. 6, 2010, from the Boston Red Sox as part of the package for Adrian Gonzalez, was hitting .418 (23-for-55) with a .515 on-base percentage in 14 games with Tucson.

“A lot of things came together for him this season,” Padres manager Bud Black said of Fuentes. “He’s a good defender, a speedy outfielder with a solid offensive component. It was time to pull the trigger moving forward.”

Several things played into Fuentes’ promotion.

One was his improved play. Two was the loss of center fielder Cameron Maybin, who was in Cincinnati Monday getting a second opinion on the PCL injury in his right knee.

And three was the clock. Had Fuentes not been added to the 40-man roster, he would have been subject to the Rule 5 draft.

But Fuentes’ play this season demanded a longer look. What was the difference between the Fuentes of 2012 and 2013.

“He figured out what he needed to do to be the player he needed to be,” Randy Smith, the Padres vice president of player development, said recently.

In other words, Fuentes stopped striking out and hitting fly balls while going for home runs that weren’t going to happen. He put the ball in play and used his legs.

“I’ve been working on making contact, keeping the ball on the ground and legging it out.”

Fuentes was told of his promotion during Sunday night’s game in Tucson and was pulled from the T-Padres lineup after drawing a walk and getting hit by a pitch.

“I wasn’t expecting this,” said Fuentes, who was promoted from San Antonio to Tucson 17 days ago. “This has been an exciting month.”

Meanwhile, Bass, 25, returned to the Padres to add innings to a bullpen that has worked 20 innings over the past three games. Brach pitched two scoreless innings Sunday in the Padres’ 3-2, 15-inning win over the Cubs at Petco Park.